The Path We Take
by Soccer-Bitch
Summary: Ever since she was a young girl, Charlotte wanted to serve her country. When she is on a mission she meets Michael Stonebridge and nothing is the same again. [This will be a short story.] [Stonebridge/OC]
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is my first attempt at a Strike Back fan fic, so I hope it turns out okay. I may change some things, but most major things stay true just as they do in the show. So with that said, I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**A/N2: I don't own anything to do with Strike Back, I only own the plot and my characters. I blame my friend for my newest obsession with Strike Back.**_

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From a young age, Charlotte James knew that she wanted to be someone that made a difference. It wasn't a doctor or a teacher that she wanted to be. No, she wanted to be a Marine. Living near military bases her whole life and seeing the men and women in uniform on a daily basis might have had a bit of an influence on those dreams of hers, but it also had to do with both her brother and sister encouraging her to go for it. And she did just that as soon as she graduated from high school. Knowing that this was what she wanted, she went for it just like she did everything in her life.

Once she had entered boot camp for the Marines, she received word that her mother was killed by a drunk driver. That had been a hard pill to swallow since she didn't have any family nearby. Being in the middle of training there was no way she was able to leave for before she finished. It broke her heart to have to read about exactly what happened in a letter from her brother. She knew that her father and sister were heartbroken over the loss and her brother was too, but he had always been the stronger one out all of them. Not surprisingly, her brother Matthew had taken charge and made sure she had been informed of everything that had happened all while taking care of the family and arrangements. Matthew was a force to be reckoned with when it came to family. Her sister Katherine was on her way to being a delivery nurse which didn't surprise anyone in the family, nor did Matthew becoming an architect.

Family was the one thing Charlotte knew she could always count on. But knowing that her mother wouldn't be at the boot camp graduation was hard to accept, but eventually when she had the proper time to mourn, she would. But when she did, it wouldn't be around a bunch of strangers. That much she was sure about.

**Four Years Later**

Walking outside in December with the sun shining was not a bad way to start her day. The morning started off with waking just before the alarm went off and felt well rested. Never did she expect to be pulled out of work and offered a chance at a new job, but of course there was a catch. She had to be willing to reenlist. What she hadn't told them was that had been her plan all along. Grinning, she walked down one of the streets to her car outside of a building at Camp Pendleton where she signed four more years of her life away. But was it signing them away if she loved what she was doing more than anything?

Opening the door to her car, she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. Fishing it out of her pocket, Charlotte opened her car door with a smile when she saw it was her sister Katherine calling her. Sliding into the driver's seat, she accepted the call.

"Hey. I was just thinking about calling you."

"_I bet your news is different than mine."_

"So the nurse that helps deliver babies all day has some news?" Charlotte joked with her sister just like they had done all their lives. "Did you find a man who wasn't a dog?"

"_Yes and no," Katherine said with a long sigh. "Promise you won't get mad at me?"_

"Come on you know very well I can never stay mad at you for long," Charlotte said trying to get her sister to laugh, but it didn't work. "Katherine, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"_So I met this guy on the elevator at the hospital as I was leaving my shift two months ago. He was hot and he was a smooth talker. I ended up at his hotel that night. When I woke up the next morning he was gone and there was no note or anything so I didn't think anything of it until I missed two periods in a row."_

"Oh my god," Charlotte said, shock lacing her voice. "Are you pregnant?"

"_I am," Katherine said with a small laugh. "Your are going to be Aunt Charlotte from now on. I haven't found the guy anywhere, but who knows if the name he gave me was real or not."_

"What was the name?"

"_Damien Scott."_

"Well maybe one day you'll find him and tell about being a father and it will shock the shit out of him and you'll have to-"

"_Your joke isn't funny."_

"To you."

"_You are the first person I've told about the baby. I'm planning to tell Matthew over dinner tomorrow. But I just couldn't keep it a secret any longer and I know you won't be able to make dinner so you get to know first."_

"I think this will be a good thing," Charlotte admitted. "After Dad's death last year and Mom's four years ago, I think this is exactly what our family needs right now."

"_Then why haven't you had any kids yet? I want to be an aunt one day as well."_

"You are so funny," Charlotte said with a roll of her eyes. "Why don't you bug Matthew about that? He is the oldest and so he needs to get on that."

"_I can't wait to tell him you said that."_

"I bet you can't," Charlotte laughed. "But I've gotta go. I'm sitting in my car on base at and I'm supposed to be meeting someone in ten minutes on the other side of the base."

"_We should Skype this weekend if you can."_

"That sounds like a plan," Charlotte said with a smile. "I can't wait. Love you Katherine."

"_I love you too Charlotte."_

Hanging up the phone, she shook her head. That was not something she had been expecting to hear. But knowing Katherine she would be a great mother to her baby and she would never really be alone. She would have both siblings standing by her with support and anything else she might need during this new trial in her life.

**Three Years Later**

Walking into the communications tent, Charlotte knew that this would be the highlight of her week. It had been a month since she had left her homeland for her first tour of duty as part of the elite extraction unit. She was proud of the group she worked with and that wasn't because she was the senior officer there, but she trusted each individual in her unit. There had been a few bumps when they started, but that was done and over with and they were one of the best extraction teams there.

"Corner table is set up for you Staff Sergeant."

"Thank you."

Walking to where the marine had pointed out, she situated herself before signing onto her skype account. She was looking forward to seeing her sister and her niece along with her brother. Anytime she had leave, the chances were great that you would find her with the little angel that she called a niece.

Placing her ear buds into her ears, she plugged into the jack and made the video call. Although they weren't in the same country, she missed her family more than she thought possible. It felt like each time she was able to see her niece she had grown even more than the last time she saw her. Matthew was the same workaholic that he had always been and Katherine, well she was happy. After Hayley had been born she had this idea in her head that Hayley's father would come back into their lives, but it didn't happen and that had been hard for her to grasp. But after talking everything out with her family, she began to heal and she fell in love with her daughter all over again.

"_Aunt Charlie!"_

Seeing the pair of chocolate brown eyes looking at her, Charlotte couldn't help but smile. Whenever she talked to her sister, Katherine always said that Hayley looked just like a combination of the two of them. Sometimes she even said that she couldn't remember what Hayley's father looked like, but Charlotte knew better than that.

"Hi Hayley," Charlotte said looking at her face fill the screen. "How are you sweetie?"

"_I got my Auntie Charlie doll today! Now you can always be with us!"_

Grinning, Charlotte looked at the doll her niece was talking about. She had heard about a site that would put a picture of someone in the military for their kids and family. When Katherine had talked to Hayley about Charlotte going to serve overseas, it had been her idea to get one of those dolls. Charlotte thought her sister had been joking about it at first, but now she could see how happy it made her niece to have it.

"I see that. What are your plans for your Charlie doll?"

"_Mommy says no to taking it to school, but she says I can have it in bed when I sleep so that you are watching over me. Oh! And I can have it at Uncle Mattie's."_

Hayley never ceased to surprise her. For being a three year old, she was a lot smarter than she was at that age. Charlotte had told Katherine that was something she should be proud of. Knowing that Hayley wouldn't struggle in school the way Charlotte had eased the minds of Katherine and Charlotte. Katherine had to watch as Charlotte struggled early on in school and there really wasn't anything she could do to help her little sister. So knowing that her own daughter wouldn't have the same issue was a breath of fresh air for everyone.

"I hope you don't forget Charlie doll somewhere."

"_Never Aunt Charlie! That would be bad!" Hayley turned and looked behind her and nodded before looking back at her aunt. "Mommy says I have to go brush my teeth. Will you still be here when I get back?"_

Knowing that she wouldn't, Charlotte shook her head. "I'm about to head out for a little bit. So when you go to bed tonight I want you to snuggle real good with Charlie doll because that way I know you are thinking about me, okay?"

"_Okay Aunt Charlie. I love you!"_

"I love you too Hayley."

Watching as Katherine's face appeared on the screen, she gave her sister a smile. Video chats from long distances always made her miss not only home, but the people and the ordinary things.

"_Hey," Katherine said leaning down so that she came onto the screen. "I know you have to go soon, but do me a favor and be careful, okay?"_

"I will," Charlotte said with a nod of her head. "I love you Katherine. Give my love to Matthew when you see him. I keep missing him when I've tried to call him."

"_Will do. Bye Charlotte."_

"Bye Katherine."

Ending the video call, Charlotte signed out of the computer and grabbed her things before leaving the tent. There were always ups and downs when video chatting with her family. The good was seeing them and knowing that they were doing good and even hearing that they did miss her. The bad was not being able to hold them in her arms and be with them. It was hard ending the calls when she didn't know when the next time she would be able to get the time to do another video chat.

Shaking her head of the sad thoughts, she made her way to the barracks and into her sleeping quarters. She had an hour to get her stuff put away and ready for her new mission. The British were asking for assistance in getting a handful of their soldiers out of a bad situation. Knowing that she was on the number one extraction team, Charlotte knew it would be her team going in and getting them out of there. It wasn't that she minded, but there were times that she thought her team deserved a bit of a break.

**Three Days Later**

London, England. Shaking her head, Charlotte walked into a pub that was close to the hotel that the leader of a secret British agency was paying for. After the mission where her team had extracted four British soldiers, her team was taken to a hospital out there for one of her own marines. Lance Corporal Jackson Hill had taken a bullet in his leg, but he would make a full recovery. For now though the rest of her team including her were to relax and wait until he was out of the hospital before getting new orders. And that was how she ended up at a pub, extra time on her hands and nothing better to do.

Making her way to the bar, she took a seat and waited for the bartender to come over and take her order. All she knew was that she needed a drink that was long overdue. Taking her phone out of her jacket pocket, she texted her sister to let her know that her latest mission was fine and that she and her team had moved to a new location and that would take some time before she would be able to video chat again.

"_Taking in all the sights that we have to offer?"_

Looking at the man next to her, she shook her head. Michael Stonebridge. He was one of the soldiers that they had been sent in to rescue. He had been a shock since he didn't try and take command of the extraction that she was leading. There had been many times where she had to damage an ego or two to get them to listen to what she and her team had been saying. It was also refreshing not to be looked down upon just because she was a woman who was leading the extraction team.

"This has been the best thing I've seen since leaving that damn hospital."

"And how is your man?" Michael Stonebridge asked, nothing but sincerity in his voice.

"Jackson?" Charlotte asked. "He's grumpy and pissed off. But his girlfriend will be here soon enough to make him play nice again."

"So he'll be alright?"

"Yeah, he'll be just fine. It isn't his first gunshot wound and I doubt it will be his last."

"You were impressive out there."

"For a woman?" she asked as she noticed the bartender finally standing in front of her. "Can I get whatever is on tap?"

"I meant that you aren't what we expected when they told us that an American extraction team was on its way."

Nodding her head, she knew what he meant. It was rare when someone wasn't surprised by her team. "We work well together when the people we are extracting aren't being morons with egos larger that the Pacific Ocean."

"That bad?" he asked as he motioned to the bartender for another drink.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "And sometimes it gets worse."

**Next Morning**

Rolling over, Charlotte grabbed her phone and saw that it was her sister calling. Glancing over her shoulder, she groaned once she saw who was in her hotel bed with her. Grabbing the closest piece of clothing to her, she pulled it on before taking the phone call in the other room.

"Morning Katherine."

"_I figured that I would just get your voicemail again. You know I'm getting to know your voicemail very well."_

"Funny."

"_So I'm late to work because Hayley had a fit about leaving Charlie doll at home. So I had to go back and get it for her. She loves that thing Charlotte."_

"Where is she now?"

"_Matthew is taking her for the next three days. I have a double shift and then he offered an extra day so I wouldn't be a zombie when I pick her up."_

"Logical Matthew as always."

"_I was wondering if you have any leave coming up in the next month or so?"_

"Not sure, but I can look into it. Why what's up?"

"_Your birthday is next month and we haven't seen you in a few years. At least in person and I think Hayley would love to see you again just like the rest of us."_

"I miss you all."

"_SHIT!"_

Hearing the blaring of car horns and what sounded like glass breaking, Charlotte felt her heart plummet to the floor. She waited for her sister to say something, anything but it never came. When the line went dead, she immediately called Matthew and told him what had happened. After he told her he would call her when he knew anything, they hung up. Quietly walking into the room, she noticed Michael was still asleep. Picking up her clothes, she dressed quickly and packed what was hers. As she walked over to where Michael Stonebridge was still sleeping, she noticed for the first time that he was wearing a wedding ring.

Shaking her head in disgust, she walked back to her bag. Picking it up and making sure that she had everything she needed, she left the hotel room without taking a last look over her shoulder. As she made her way to the elevator, she called her superior officer and told him what had happened and requested leave to be with her family during this time of need.

**One Year Later**

Charlotte wanted to throttle her brother. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. How stupid could he be? She understood the stress he was under to get the clinic in Nigeria up and running, but how did he not understand how dangerous it would be to take a little girl into the country with him? And now the terrorist group Boko Haram had not only taken her brother captive, but four year old Hayley as well. There was a ransom, but she wasn't going to pay it. No, Charlotte was going to go and get them herself and kill whoever opposed her once she was inside. What she hadn't thought about was asking her team for help, but then again she didn't have to.

As she geared up late one night to go, they were all there waiting for her. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it had. After all they were family, even her newest team member was there. But she knew that she couldn't ask any of them to risk their lives or their careers on this mission which had not been approved by the higher ups.

"Staff Sergeant James," Private First Class Andrew Harris said as he turned to face her. "We are a team, we have each other's backs. We can't let you go in alone."

"You should know us better than this James," Lance Corporal Jackson Hill, who had been shot in the leg last year. "We might not be blood family, but we are a family. When they go after one of our owns family, we go after them. How do you want to play this out?"

"This isn't just about what is left of my family," Charlotte said. "If something goes wrong and you all know there is that possibility, it could mean your life or your career."

"It's worth the risk." Corporal Harrison Foster said, speaking for the entire team.

Nodding her head, they all loaded into the truck that wasn't too far away from them. Sighing in relief, Charlotte felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders knowing that she wasn't alone in this operation. Getting her family back meant everything to her and Matthew would know that she would never leave him or Hayley to suffer at the hands of terrorists.

_I'm coming Hayley, just sit tight baby girl._

The compound was easy enough to find, but it was also heavily guarded. They didn't want to take a chance on the prisoners finding a way to escape. Especially if the ransom would fund more of their operations. Hiding the truck, they picked up their communications and turned them on.

"_This is Major Sinclair from Section 20."_

"Hello Major," Charlotte said in a low voice. "How did you get on my line?"

"_May I know to whom I am speaking with?"_

"Staff Sergeant Charlotte James, United States Marines Corps."

"_Staff Sergeant, I've had eyes on the compound that you are intending to infiltrate. I can help you if you can help get two of my own men out of there."_

"And why should I help you?"

"_Because we both know that your mission has not been approved by your superiors. I can help you if they get wind of this."_

"They will get wind of it," Charlotte said with all honesty in her voice. "We are going to blow the place up after we are a safe distance away."

"_I will take that blame if you will help. Do we have an agreement?"_

Knowing that she would always do the right thing when it came to lives of the innocent, she nodded her head before looking at her team who had heard the whole conversation. They nodded their heads in agreement with her.

"You have an agreement Major."

They all listened to what he was saying over the communications. Upon entrance to the compound, both Harrison and Charlotte took out four guards. The other three of their group went to place explosives so they could blow the place as soon as they were out of blasting range. For Charlotte she felt as if her heart was beating twice as fast as it normally would on a mission like this. She didn't know how she was going to find Matthew or Hayley and that made her nervous.

Harrison went into the first door on the right and cleared it before falling behind his superior officer. When she stopped, he almost ran into her. That was when he heard it.

"_No! That's my Charlie doll!"_

Not needing to hear anything else, Charlotte and Harrison barged into the room and saw two guards. One was holding a knife to her brother's throat and the other was holding Hayley's Charlie doll.

"Gentlemen, if you don't mind," Charlotte said as she walked closer to them. "You've taken people that don't belong to you and I'm here to collect them."

When the one with the doll looked at her he started to speak, but Charlotte didn't understand. Harrison did though.

"He says that maybe one of them would be released upon ransom and that you just walked into your own death."

"Hayley, can you hear me?" Charlotte asked not taking her eyes off the men that were keeping her family captive.

"Yes."

Hearing the terror in Hayley's voice tore at her heart strings. "Ok, good. I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay? I want you to stand behind these gentlemen while facing the wall and cover your ears. Can you do that for me?"

"Okay."

"She's done what you asked."

Hearing the American accent, Charlotte grinned before pulling the trigger of her side arm. The bullet went through the man's head. Picking up the Charlie doll before she got any blood on her, she turned her attention to the man who still had a knife to her brother's throat. Leaning down, she pretended to tie her laces while taking a knife of her own out of her boot and threw it at the man. It landed in his wrist, so once he dropped the knife, her brother was free and Harrison shot the man dead.

"I assume you two are from section twenty?" Harrison asked.

"Are you are our rescue?" the dark haired American asked.

"Only because we were already here," Harrison said. "And technically we weren't even here."

Walking closer to her niece, Charlotte kneeled down and took Hayley's hands off her ears. "You can turn around now, Hayley."

Slowly turning, Hayley's eyes had tears streaming down her face as she launched herself into her aunt's arms. For Charlotte it was a relief to know that they had gotten there in time and no real harm had come to her brother or her niece. Keeping Hayley in her arms, she nodded to Harrison to get her knife.

"We need to go," Charlotte said as Hayley tightened her arms around her aunt's neck. Looking over at her brother, she gave him a small smile. "Are you okay?"

"Thanks to you," Matthew said. "Want me to take her?"

"I've got her," Charlotte said as she took a good look at the other man. If she hadn't been holding her niece, she might have lost her breath. "As I live and breathe. Why am I not surprised that Michael Stonebridge needs to be rescued?"

"It's good to see that you are alive and well Sergeant James."

"She's Staff Sergeant James." Hayley's voice said from the safety of her aunt's arms.

"Congratulations on the promotion." Michael Stonebridge told her.

"Thank you," she said as she took one her hand guns and handed it to him. "We need to go and meet up with the others. This place is going to blow soon."

Harrison followed Charlotte's lead and gave a gun to the other man before he went first into the hallway. Navigating the hallways was easy since they had Major Sinclair in their ears. When they were out, they silently loaded into the truck, but Hayley still wouldn't let go of her, so with the help of Michael, she was able to get in without letting go of her niece. With Lance Corporal Jackson Hill behind the wheel, they got out of there as if they had a fire on their asses. When she was confident that they were far enough away from the site, she ordered Jackson to stop. Giving the nod to Private First Class Andrew Harris, he pressed a button and they watched as the compound went up in flames.

"Where would you like us to leave your men?"

"_I have word that I am to have you all come in," Major Sinclair said. "To be checked out medically. The coordinates are being sent to you now. And thank you for your assistance."_

**Later That Night**

After tucking Hayley into bed in the hotel room that she would share with Matthew, Charlotte headed to her own room. Hayley needed to sleep in the same room as her uncle for the reason that Charlotte didn't know how the night was going to play out. Nearly an hour after she was back in her room, there was a knock on the door. Taking her time in walking to the door, she checked the peephole before opening the door.

"Charlotte."

"Michael."

"May I come in?"

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte opened the door wider and allowed Michael Stonebridge to walk into her hotel room. The room was nothing fancy, but it beat having to sleep in the desert heat. Seeing Michael again in that compound where her brother and niece were being held, made her feel sick to her stomach. When she left him in the hotel room last year after listening to her sister die on the phone hadn't been her plan. She was going to wake him and explain what had happened, but then she saw the wedding ring on his left hand and everything changed for her. She had friends that had slept with married men, but she had prided herself on not being one of them, but now she was. She slept with someone else's husband and in her mind there was nothing she could do to make it right.

"Are you in deep shit for disobeying orders?"

Closing the door, she turned and leaned back against it. Of course he wanted to talk business and all she could think about was what happened with them a year ago. How drunk, yet special she felt when Michael kissed her and held her and then fucked her brains out all night long. Holding back the tears in her eyes, she avoided his eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Major Sinclair attempted to take the blame for what went down and although they still put some of the blame on him, I took the majority of it. It wasn't right for him to take the blame when I had the intention of going into that compound, with or without the permission of my superior officer."

"Why did you?"

"What is left of my family was being held hostage and I couldn't let that go. Hayley already lost her mother and I had no clue as to what they were doing to her or to Matthew. I still think I should have shot him."

"You'd do that?" Michael asked as she sat on the edge of the queen sized bed in the room. "Shoot your own brother?"

Releasing the sigh that had been building up, Charlotte shook her head. "No, but I would let him think I would."

When Michael didn't say anything to her after that, she didn't move an inch. Charlotte knew there was more to his visit to her hotel room than just to ask about trivial things. In her heart she knew it to be true, but she just couldn't bring herself to say anything about what happened last year. Not about being with him or Katherine's death. Both were still too close to her and she wasn't ready to talk about it with anyone besides Michael.

"Why are you here Michael?" Charlotte asked, wanting to know what was going on with the Section 20 solider.

"I wanted to see how you were dealing with everything that has happened," Michael said as he stood up from where he had taken a set upon the bed. "But there was something else. Something I've been wanting to ask you for over a year."

"Then ask me."

"That night, why did you leave? What did I do that was so bad?"

"Are you fucking serious right now?" Charlotte asked him as she looked at him from across the room. "You have no idea what happened and you assume it was all because of you? Get over your ego Michael, only part of it was about you."

"Then what-"

"My turn to ask a question Michael Stonebridge. Why did you sleep with me when you were already married?"

The shock was written as clear as day upon his face. Charlotte couldn't tell if he was shocked or guilty that she knew about him being married. Most likely both, but if he felt shame, then good. It was the least he deserved.

"How do you know about that?"

Moving away from the door, Charlotte kept her arms folded in front of her. "I got woken up by my phone ringing that morning. My sister wanted to tell me something. So I talked to her and I listened as someone crashed into her and killed her. I knew I had to get back there for Hayley. I called Matthew and told him what I had heard and then I called my superiors and they allowed me to leave. As I packed my things I was going to wake you up and explain all of that to you, but then I noticed for the first time that you had a wedding band on your left hand."

"Charlotte-"

"Do you have any idea how dirty that made me feel?" she asked him. "I never wanted to be the other woman. I have seen enough of my friends go through it. I thought you were one of the good guys, Michael. But maybe my instincts are getting rusty."

"How did you know?" Michael questioned her.

"Next time you might want to take the wedding ring off," Charlotte said. "Did you tell your wife what you did?"

"I didn't and now it's too late to tell her anything."

"Divorced?"

"No," Michael said as the pain shined as bright as the sun in the sky in his eyes. "We decided to try for a family. After she miscarried we had a fight about section twenty. We were talking in the park when she was shot and killed."

Placing her hand over her mouth, Charlotte couldn't believe what she just heard. To hold someone that you vowed to be with as they were taken from you for whatever reason was not something she would wish upon anyone. "I'm so sorry Michael," Charlotte whispered. "Did you catch the person?"

"I will."

"I truly hope that you do." Charlotte said as she watched him from where she had moved to lean against the dresser in the room.

"What happened to your sister?" he asked. "That made you leave so suddenly."

"We were talking on the phone after she dropped Hayley off at Matthew's place. She was going in for a long shift at the hospital. It will always be with me, her scream and knowing that was the last thing I heard from her."

"I'm sorry about your sister and what happened between us."

Looking down at the carpet, Charlotte missed it when he crossed the room and stood right in front of her. "I wish things could have gone differently back then," he said as he brought his hand up and stroked her cheek softly. Looking into the eyes of the woman in front of him, he knew she understood what pain truly was. "I wish that you didn't have to lose your sister that way."

As the stray tears fell from her eyes, Michael placed both his hands upon her face and used his thumbs to wipe away the stray tears. "If things had been different, would you be here right now? With me?"

Leaning down, Michael captured Charlotte's lips in a kiss that made her toes curl. The moment that she opened her lips to allow his tongue to slide inside her mouth, she knew there would be no going back from it. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Michael took that as a hint to pick her up and she wrapped her legs around his mid-section. As he made his way to the bed, he laid her down before crawling on top of her and looking into her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this? Because if we go any further I'm not sure I can stop."

Breathing heavily, Charlotte looked into his intense stare and nodded at him before whispering her reassurance that this was in fact what she wanted as well. But before he could make another move, she placed a hand on his chest, halting him. "I think it would be a good idea if you put the do not disturb sign on the door."

Nodding his head, Michael kissed her briefly on her lips before moving off her and the bed and heading towards the door. Seeing the sign on their side of the door, he took it off the door handle and opened the door and placed it on the outer door before shutting the door forcefully and putting the chain on the door as well. He wasn't going to take any chances at someone unwanted barging in on them.

As he made his way back to the bed, he stripped himself of his shoes and then all his clothes leaving him completely naked. Once he was back at the bed, he noticed that Charlotte had the same idea as him and was laying almost naked on the bed. The only thing that separated them was a pair of black lace panties.

Climbing on the bed, Michael hovered over her bare stomach before placing a lingering kiss just above her belly button. Hearing Charlotte take a sudden intake of breath, Michael couldn't help but smirk. He liked knowing that he had this sort of affect on her. Slowly he made a trail of kisses from her belly button to the valley between her breasts. Once he was close to her again, Charlotte ran her hand into Michael's short hair. Her nails digging slightly into his scalp.

Feeling his hands on her thighs, he opened her legs and had her wrap her legs around his waist. The feeling of his hard cock rubbing against the last barrier they had, made Charlotte lose her breath momentarily. She had forgotten what it felt like to be with Michael. The last time she had been with him was a year ago and that also had been the last time she had been with anyone.

The light sensation of Michael's lips moving over her stomach as he left kisses all over her body made her moan. Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from moaning. "Michael…" she panted as she felt his fingers at the edge of her panties. Lifting her hips, he ripped them down her thighs before holding up the ruined pair of underwear with a grin upon his face.

"Sorry about that." Michael said before claiming her lips in a searing kiss.

Feeling the need to be inside her, Michael pinned Charlotte's hands above her head as he filled her completely. At the sound of her surprise intake of breath, he gave her a moment to adjust to his size. After a few moments, he withdrew slightly before thrusting in again and repeating the action over and over again. Hearing Charlotte's screams of immense pleasure drove him to his climax quicker than he would have normally have been. Emptying his seed inside her, Michael looked down at Charlotte as she tried to get her breathing back to normal. Leaning down, he placed his head at her throat and left a kiss there before pulling himself out of her and laying next to her on the bed.

"I don't think it was that intense the last time."

Glancing over at Michael as he laughed, Charlotte started to get up to find her clothes and get dressed in hopes that Michael might take the hint. Only he didn't. Taking her arm into his grasp, he brought her back down to lay next to him. "No disappearing this time."

With those final words, he wrapped his arm around her waist to make sure she didn't get up and waited until he was sure that she was asleep before he fell asleep himself.

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**_A/N: That is the end of part one. I had intended to make this into a oneshot, but it has become too long for that. So let me know what you think!  
_**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites on this story. I never expected to get anything since I know not many people are watching it. But it has been my new favorite show and hopefully soon I will buy it SO I can watch it whenever I want. LOL. I was planning on just having this be two chapters and then be done, but then I got hit by the muse and it will be slightly longer than I had anticipated. So I hope that you will stick around and enjoy it!**

**A/N2: Sorry this has taken so long to update. But at least I got it done. So enjoy!**

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**Two Months Later**

Charlotte and her team were off duty and it was for a reason that ate at them all. On the brink of a promotion Private First Class Andrew Harris had died in her arms on their last mission. She refused to leave his body for the enemy to find and do who knows what with. No, she could never leave a member of her team or any comrade of hers behind. Things were changing now and Charlotte didn't like the way things were going.

Her days as a member of the armed forces was coming to a close and she honestly didn't know what she would do with herself once she was out. One thing was certain, she would be getting full custody of her four and a half year old niece. Matthew had agreed to that fully knowing how close the two were and that she would need the female presence in her life.

Even though she knew this had been the plan all along, it made her nervous. While she was in London watching Andrew's casket be put in a grave, her family was back in the states and she was happy that they weren't around her right now. She was holding in a secret that she had no idea what she was going to do about.

Feeling her second in command Harrison Foster shift next to her, she looked at him with confusion written upon her face. Jerking his head, he wanted her to take a look at the back of the crowd that had gathered. That was when she saw three figures standing at the back, but she only knew two of them. Michael Stonebridge and Damien Scott. It was two months ago that they had rescued them along with her brother and niece from a terrorist group. It had been an emotional mission that had not been authorized by her superiors, but she didn't care and neither did her team. Once they got there they were contacted by Major Sinclair and they made a deal to get their men out of the compound as well. They did all that and then they also blew it up and she didn't regret a moment.

Refocusing on what words were being said, Charlotte couldn't help but wonder why Michael and Damien were here or how they even heard about what happened to Andrew. Seeing the priest nod in her direction, she nodded back at him before taking a deep breath.

"_Andrew was someone that came into my unit and I wasn't sure how he would get along with everyone else. It was my job to make sure that everyone did. But if I am being honest, I didn't have to worry about my team getting along. Andrew fit in as if he had been a part of our unit for years. I liked knowing that he was watching my back, it made getting things done so much easier. Andrew became my little brother that I never had and I can't count how many times we saved each other's lives. Today we say good bye to one of the best men I have had the honor to serve with."_

As soon as the casket was lowered onto the ground, people started to leave. But Charlotte continued to stay where she was. There was no way in knowing how long it would take for her not to feel so affected by Andrew's death. It hit the whole team hard, but Charlotte was taking it the hardest since she watched it over and over again in her mind. Not being able to save Andrew hurt, but seeing it and not being able to do anything about it made it worse.

"Staff Sergeant James, I'm Major Dalton," a woman's voice said, but Charlotte didn't turn or acknowledge the woman. "I am sorry for your loss. But I am here to offer you a position with British Intelligence at Section Twenty."

Feeling her whole body stiffen, Charlotte turned and looked at the woman who was with Michael and Damien. "How dare you be so disrespectful as to ask me to work for you when my team member has been barely laid to rest. Do you not have an ounce of dignity in you?"

"I'm sorry-"

"No you aren't," Charlotte said, looking at the woman with pure distain upon her face. "If you were, you wouldn't come here on this day to ask me to join your unit. I have absolutely no respect for people like you. So get away from me and stay away."

Brushing her shoulder roughly into Major Dalton's, Charlotte didn't even glance at Michael or Damien as she passed through them and towards the awaiting car. She was done. Done with military people like Major Dalton and possibly with her career in the United States Marines Corps.

Seeing Harrison standing at the driver's side door, she nodded her head in thanks. She knew he didn't have to wait for her, but did. Even if she did leave the Marines, she would never be able to leave behind her unit because they were her second family and no one in her family would be left behind.

"Everything okay?" Harrison asked as they got into the car.

"Apparently Section Twenty wants me to join them."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Harrison asked as he started the engine of the rental car.

Glancing at Harrison as she buckled her seatbelt, Charlotte shook her head as she wiped away the tears that had escaped her eyes. "I've done so much for my country and now some British Intelligence group wants me? Am I supposed to say fuck you to the country that I have been proudly serving since I was eighteen?"

"This is what we get for saving two of their own?" Harrison asked, unamused with what had gone down with his commanding officer. "And at a funeral. Such class."

"Let's get out of here."

Without another word, they were heading away from the graveyard and towards the hotel. It had been a long two months and all Charlotte wanted to do was sleep. Ever since Andrew died she hadn't slept a full night. Nightmare or night terrors as some would call them kept her awake throughout most of the night.

Through her years and many missions, she was surprised that she hadn't gotten nightmares before now. Many people have nightmares about things in their ordinary lives, but her nightmares had to do with terrorist groups taking her niece again, but not only her but her unborn child as well. Ever since she found out that she was in fact pregnant, Charlotte had been thinking about what it was that she wanted to do. After two weeks she was still trying to figure it out, but she knew that she needed to tell her unit about her decision and why. But first she needed to take a nap and then get ready for dinner with them and hopefully no one from section twenty would show up because she really didn't want to deal with them. Any of them.

**Later That Night**

"Anyone know when we ship out next?" Lance Corporal Rachel Smith asked as she took a large sip from her wine. "And where we will be going this time?"

"Yeah, Staff Sergeant, where are we heading and is it anytime soon?" Lance Corporal Jackson Hill asked.

"I'm not privileged to that information anymore." Charlotte said as she stirred the ice in her water.

"What?" Jackson asked as if he didn't hear her correctly. "Are they taking what happened out on you?"

Letting out a sigh, she shook her head. "I'm no longer the commander of the unit. That honor will be going to Harrison. But you will be getting one maybe even two new team members."

"Why aren't you coming back out there with us?"

"I am leaving the Marines. It has been a long and great ride and I'll miss it, but it is time for me to go."

"Tell them why," Harrison said when he noticed her hesitation. "You wanted them to know."

Nodding her head, she pulled out her wallet and pulled out a black and white ultrasound picture. After handing it to Rachel, she handed it to Jackson who was confused.

"Uh, can someone tell me what I'm looking at?" Jackson asked and they all laughed.

"I'm pregnant," Charlotte laughed for a minute before sobering up. "I need to get my nightmares under control and I'm going to be Hayley's guardian. Just like my sister wanted."

Raising their glasses, they drank to Staff Sergeant James new beginning and to the memory of their fallen team member, Andrew Harris. Not too long after the food they had ordered arrived.

"You know, we'll still be family," Harrison said once he noticed that they all finished eating dinner. "Keeping in contact won't be too hard and we can visit on leave at times."

"I'll be able to send you some care packages that you wouldn't otherwise get."

"That would be nice." Harrison said with a smirk.

The silence didn't last long, because Damien Scott and Michael Stonebridge pulled up a pair of chairs to their tables. Charlotte rolled her eyes, knowing that this was a private dinner for the team and no one else. And yet, two members of section twenty managed to find them and crash their little party.

"Here to try and recruit Charlie again?" Harrison asked, making it known how he truly felt about what their leader had done did not sit well with him. "Or was it not enough to try that when we were watching our teammate be laid to rest?"

"That wasn't our idea," Michael said as he looked at Charlotte, who wouldn't meet his eyes. "Dalton does things her own way."

"Which way is that?" Charlotte asked, not amused by the way Major Dalton approached her at a funeral nor the way that Michael was sitting across from her. "By disrespecting me at the funeral for one of the men in my unit?"

"I told her not to," Damien said as he spoke up from the seat next to Charlotte. "But she's a bitch and doesn't listen to me."

"Such a shock."

With a grin, Damien picked up Charlotte's water and took a long drink and then another one. Setting it back down, he looked at her with a questioning expression. "That wasn't vodka."

"No," Charlotte said with a grin upon her face. "It is this new drink that has only recently come out. It's called water."

"Fuck that." Damien said as he flagged down a waitress and ordered a beer for himself and one for Michael as well. "Have you toasted him?"

"Yes." Jackson said as he handed the picture to Harrison who handed it to Charlotte who placed it back into her purse.

"I'm tired, so I'll catch you guys later."

Standing up, Charlotte grabbed her purse and left the table before anyone could say anything else. Seeing Michael Stonebridge again after so long made her feel emotional. Part of it could be blamed on her pregnancy, but the other part reminded her of the last time she saw him was right after her team had rescued him and his friend Damien along with her niece and brother. Her niece that was anxiously waiting for her return so that they could move into the new house that had been recently renovated and decorated. Hayley had been very adamant about how she wanted her new room to be and because when it came down to her, Charlotte could hardly deny the young girl what she wanted.

Tossing her purse onto the hotel dresser, Charlotte walked over to her backpack and took out her laptop. Knowing her brother the way she did, there was a good chance that he was awake and possibly Hayley as well. Opening it up, she turned it on before setting it on the bed before going to get a plastic cup of water from the bathroom. Once she had a few of them with filled with water she set them on the beside table and made herself comfortable.

Once her laptop was on and ready to be used, Charlotte went over to the skype icon and double clicked it. After signing in, she went to her contacts and saw that her brother was online. But there was no doubt about that since she knew that Hayley probably talked him into staying up late so that she could talk herself. Hayley had so much of her mother in her and at times it made her sad because of how much she missed her sister, but she would keep her sister alive by telling Hayley all about her and never forgetting her. With a smile on her face, she started a video call.

It didn't take long before the call was accepted. The first face she saw was Hayley, who was not in her pajamas. Letting out a sigh, she gave the young girl a smile.

"_Hi Aunt Charlie!"_

"Hey Hayley. Where are your pajamas? I know you aren't thinking of sleeping in your clothes are you?"

With a grin, she shook her head. _"I forgot to change. I'll be right back."_

And as she took off, her brother's face filled the screen. _"Hey. How are you feeling?"_

"I'm okay. Not getting sick anymore so that is a plus. Had the funeral today."

"_And how did that go?" _Matthew asked as he glanced at the doorway to see if Hayley was coming back into the room.

"I wish it didn't have to happen at all, but that wasn't the worst part of it," Charlotte said shaking her head slightly. "I was standing by the grave while everyone started filing to the cars. I just needed an extra moment alone before leaving him."

"_Your team was like a family to you. I understand."_

"Thanks. But that isn't the bad part. Do you remember those men that were with you when you were captured with Hayley? Well they have this new leader, her name is Dalton and she had the nerve to try and recruit me while I'm standing at the grave of my fallen team member. It was such a shit move and I'm trying to get over it but I cannot see anyone doing something like that."

"_You have that face." _Matthew told her as he stared at the screen and tried not to grin.

"What face?"

"_The face that says you are pissed beyond words and if the person that caused it comes near you, chances are you will punch them," _he told her._ "I remember that face very well since I was on the receiving end of it many times."_

There was no helping her as she remembered the fights she would have with her brother when he made her mad just to get a reaction out of her, she had to laugh. Once she started, she couldn't stop laughing and soon there were tears in her eyes. Shaking her head, she wiped the tears off her face. "Thanks Matthew. Oh so I know who the father of Hayley is."

"_You found him?" _Matthew asked, surprise lacing his voice.

"It took awhile, but yeah I actually know who he is and so do you." Charlotte said as she ran a hand through her hair. "Do you remember those men who were in that cell with you when you and Hayley had been taken?"

"_I don't think I can ever forget," _he told her honestly. "_Are you telling me that one of them is her father?"_

"Yeah, the dark haired one. Damien Scott," Charlotte said. "I've written him a letter and I plan to give it to him before I head home."

"_Aunt Charlie! I'm back!"_

Seeing Hayley's face, brought a real smile to her face. "Did you brush your teeth and wash your face and everything you are supposed to do before bedtime?"

"_Yep!" _she said with a grin on her face. _"When are you coming home?"_

"Soon. And then we will all be together for awhile. No more going away."

"_Does the new house have a swimming pool?"_

"It does!" Charlotte smiled. "That way we can get Uncle Matt to come over and grill while we play in the pool. How does that sound?"

"_Awesome!" _the little girl grinned before she started giggling when her uncle started tickling her.

"_Alright, I think everyone is tired and ready for bed. We will be home tomorrow and then Aunt Charlotte will be there soon after. So the faster we sleep, the faster we all get to see each other."_

"_Night Aunt Charlie!"_

"Sweet dreams Hayley. I love you."

"_Love you!"_

And with those words Hayley ran off into another room that Charlotte couldn't see. Just seeing her niece at this age reminded her a lot of her sister. Knowing how her sister was at this age and how her daughter was, Charlotte had no doubt that Rachel would have been best friends with her child. Something that they wouldn't be able to see.

"_She reminds you of her doesn't she?" _Matthew asked, his voice low enough not to be heard by Hayley, but loud enough for his sister to hear him loud and clear.

"It's like having Katherine back again and it makes me miss her all that more. But at least we still have each other."

"_Speaking of each other. Have you told him yet?"_ he asked.

"No, but I don't think I can put it off too much longer. I'll tell him before I leave here. I promise."

"_Ok, good. Even if he doesn't step up for you both, you should at least let him know that he has a child out there."_

"I know. It makes it easier since he's in the same city as me right now. But I think I'm going to head to bed. This kid makes staying awake harder and harder as the night gets later and later."

"_Night Charlotte. I'll see you soon."_

"Night Matthew. Love you."

"_Love you too kid."_

With a smile and a wave, they disconnected their call. Closing the lid of her laptop, she unplugged it and placed it on the table next to her bed. That was when she heard the knocking on her door. Groaning, she got off the bed and made her way to the door. Making sure the chain was still on, she looked through the peephole and then backed away from the door. What in the hell was Michael Stonebridge doing at her hotel door? The last time he had come to her hotel they ended up having sex and she had the proof of what happened that night growing in her stomach.

Another knock came and she was tempted to ignore it, but she knew better. He wouldn't go away until he said whatever it was that needed to be said. Taking a deep breath, she opened it as far as the chain would allow.

"Hi." he said as he looked at her.

Shaking her head, she just looked at him. "Can I help you with something Michael?"

"I think congratulations are in order."

Her first thought was that he knew she was pregnant, but her team would never reveal such a personal thing to anyone, no matter how intoxicated they were. So maybe he thought there was something going on with her that made him believe that a congratulations were in order, but she just couldn't think of what it could be. "I'm not sure I know what you are talking about."

"You getting the family life that you have wanted since your sister passed away."

"She didn't pass away, she was killed. And I've always had custody of my niece, but with my job I couldn't have her out here and so my brother took her until I was ready. How would you know any of this?"

"Dalton. She wanted you the moment that she heard you were leaving the Marines," he told her honestly. "May I come in?"

Taking a deep breath, she closed the door. For a moment or two she thought about not opening it again, but it was too late for that. Taking another breath, she took off the chain and opened the door and allowed him to enter her hotel room. She knew that she had no choice but to tell him about the pregnancy now that he was here. He deserved to know that he was going to be a father. Allowing him to walk into the room, she closed the door and like most hotels it automatically locked. Turning around, she looked at him. In her opinion he looked tired. But that wasn't her place to tell him so.

"How is Major Sinclair?" Charlotte asked as she walked past him and grabbed her laptop and moved it over to the actual table in the room.

"Sinclair was killed while he had been captured."

Charlotte's eyes went wide with that information. Major Sinclair had helped her get through that compound where her brother, her niece, Michael and his partner Damien were all being held captive by a terrorist group. It was a huge loss to section twenty now that Major Sinclair was no longer there. "I'm sorry."

"I think that is part of the reason Dalton wants you for section twenty."

"What are you talking about, Michael?" Charlotte asked and then shook her head. "Actually don't tell me because I don't care. I can't join your team so if that was your reasoning for coming here then you can just leave now."

"What made you decide that it was time for you to leave?" Michael questioned her as he sat on the edge of the queen sized bed.

Running her hand through her loose hair, Charlotte looked at him and saw that he was actually curious. It might be in part for his boss, but something in her told her that it was him that wanted to know. So this was where she had to tell him, right?

"I love my family, but we aren't whole. And we haven't been since my sister was killed. But Hayley needs stability in her life and my brother has a lot of traveling coming up and we both agreed that we don't want what happened with him and Hayley to happen again. And after a lot of consideration I decided that it is time for me to start a new chapter of my life. With Hayley," Charlotte said taking a deep breath before placing her hand over her still flat stomach. "And with my baby."

Michael's eyes held nothing but confusion in them. "Baby? You have a baby?"

Biting down on her lip, she tried to hold back her laugh as he looked around her hotel room for any sign of a baby or child. "I will. But I'm not that far along. My team and my brother and niece are the only ones that know. Well and now you."

"And how far along are you?" he asked as he stood up.

"About two months. Maybe a little more."

Charlotte watched as he did the math in his head and tried to figure out what was going on around the time that she would be pregnant. "You were with me. That's my child?"

"Congrats Michael."

"Were you going to tell me? Or just disappear and never say anything while you raised my child away from me?"

"When would have been a good time? While you don't answer your phone for one reason or another? Or when you are being shot at while you are sent on secret missions for section twenty? I had just wanted to lay my team member to rest and go home."

"And where is home?"

"Back in the states. I have a house that is almost ready for me and Hayley to move into. And then I'll start working on a room for the baby as soon as I know what I'm having."

"We."

"We what?" Charlotte asked, unsure what he was saying.

"What we are having. That is my son on daughter you are having." Michael reminded her.

"I know this is also your child Michael. You don't need to tell me. But that doesn't mean anything. I won't have an absent father in my child's life. I've seen what it does to people and I won't have it for my child."

"So that's it? Decision made?" he questioned her.

"I won't ask you to leave section twenty," she told him as she looked into his eyes and then released the sigh she had been holding in. "But I can't just have you pop in and out of my child's life. That really isn't fair to them."

"Section twenty has headquarters in England." Michael told her, unsure about how she would take it. "I have a house there."

"So you want me to up root Hayley and the life she knows and is comfortable with and bring her to England where she won't know anyone or have any friends?" Charlotte asked him, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know it can be a change-"

"You have no idea what it would be like for her, Michael! And let me ask you something, this house you have in England, is this where you and your wife lived? Where you planned to raise your family?"

When he didn't say anything Charlotte knew she had her answer. Shaking her head, she didn't know what to think about that. How could he think that she would want to live in the shadow of a woman that he loved just because she was pregnant? Shaking her head, she looked at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Michael, but I can't do that. Not to Hayley and not to myself," Charlotte told him. "I think you should go. I need to get some sleep."

"Can I see you in the morning?" he asked her.

"How about lunch?" Charlotte asked, knowing by then she would already be in the air and on her way back to the states. "I'm usually better company in the afternoons than in the mornings."

"Ok, lunch," he agreed. "Should I meet you here?"

"I'll meet you down in the lobby." Charlotte told him as she walked him to the door.

Nodding his head, he walked to the door, but before he left he turned around and placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. Charlotte looked up at him in surprise and then he leaned down and placed another soft kiss on her lips this time. "I'll see you for lunch."

"Bye Michael."

Once the door was closed and locked with the chain on the door, she turned back into the room to make sure that everything was packed up for her morning flight. When she was satisfied with the majority of her things already packed, she moved over to the phone in the hotel room and picked it up and called the one person that she knew she could always rely on. Harrison Foster was more than her second in command, he was her best friend and someone she didn't have to worry about what he thought of her.

"_Foster."_

"Stonebridge was just here. I told him that I would meet him for lunch tomorrow to talk some more. He knows about the baby."

"_Kind of hard to meet someone for lunch when you are above an ocean." Harrison said with a laugh._

"I know I shouldn't have lied to him, but I need to go home without someone making me feel guilty about something. Anyways, do you think you can find out what floor and room number Damien Scott is in?"

"_Yeah, that's not an issue," he said, his voice laced with curiosity. "I thought you were with Stonebridge, not Scott."_

"I'm with no one at the moment. But I have a letter I need to deliver to him before I can leave. I want to do it before I head to the airport."

"_I can give it to him," Harrison said, volunteering his services. "Is this the letter about Hayley?"_

"That she is the daughter that he never knew he had?" Charlotte asked with a half laugh. "Yeah, it is. I just think he deserves to know that he is a father. Rachel never knew how to track him down, but I have had more resources at my disposal then she did."

"_I hope all this works out for you Charlie. And you know if you ever need us, all you have to do is give us a ring."_

"I could use a ride to the airport in the morning."

Harrison laughed. Not a half laugh, but a full belly laugh. Sometimes Charlotte could be unintentionally funny. But a ride to the airport was something that he could help her with. _"You got it. I'll see you in the morning."_

"Thanks Harrison. See you in the morning."

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_**A/N: So that is the end of this part. Let me know what you think!**_


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